Of Greetings and Goodbyes
by Shinka Yamazaki
Summary: A new dark power is rising. Mysterious homicides are occurring everywhere in both the Demon and Human worlds. Can Team Urameshi, along with Shinka, a former thief and assassin, track down the killer? When he goes after Shinka, will she be protected?
1. The Warning

**Of Greetings and Goodbyes**

**Chapter One: The Warning**

Shinka Yamazaki was just a normal teenaged girl. Well, a little strange, yes, but seemingly normal. She was a sophomore in high school, and had developed a reputation as a loner, and a very quiet one at that. No one ever really understood her. The way she acted. The way she thought. But above all, her dark sense of humor. She found joy in the pain of others, which was probably why she got herself into at least two fights a day.

It was a Friday afternoon, and the bell signaling the end of the day rang loudly as the large mass of students flooded from Inageshi High. Shinka walked out behind all of the other students, her black high heels clicking against the stone steps. She walked by a group of seniors that had congregated by the gates. They eyed her as she passed, just as they did everyday. She narrowed her crimson eyes in a glare as she passed.

_Why do these damn skirts have to be part of the uniform! _She thought angrily, tugging at her black mini skirt. Shinka left the school grounds, turning onto the sidewalk and beginning her long walk home.

Shinka lived out in the country, so far out, in fact, that the buses didn't go through that area. Had her parents not been alcoholics, she would have gotten a ride. However, she was forced to walk the distance. At least that's what she told people.

About half way to her country home, just as the blacktop road became dirt, something grabbed her and pulled her to the side. Out of instinct, Shinka aimed a punch at whoever it was, but caught herself.

"Damn it, Yusuke!" she yelled angrily. "I've told you a million times not to sneak up on me!" Yusuke merely grinned.

"Well, then you should have let your guard down, huh?" he said jokingly.

"Whatever. What the hell do you want, anyways?"

"Koenma says he needs to see us," Yusuke replied. Shinka sighed, exasperated.

"And I was so looking forwards to being _alone _tonight…."

"Boo frickity hoo. Let's go." Shinka followed Yusuke into the trees that skirted the road. Not to far in, just out of view of the road, was a portal. The two stepped through it, re-emerging in an office. Behind the desk sat a toddler who was frantically filling out paperwork. The other members of Team Urameshi were in the room as well. Koenma looked up from his desk as Shinka and Yusuke entered.

"Oh, good. You two are here," the baby said.

"This had better be good Koenma. I had a rough day and I was looking forward to a little relaxation," Shinka said irritably.

"Oh, well, I do hope you forgive me," Koenma said sarcastically. "Now, for what I needed to see you five about. I've received several reports of killings, both in the Makai and Nigenkai. Most of the victims in the Makai were powerful demons. The victims in the Nigenkai were young girls. However, each was killed the same way. They were all found with broken necks, limbs torn from their body, and they looked to have been dropped from a great height," Koenma explained. "What I need you to do is—"

"Track down the killer." Shinka cut him off. He shot her a glare for interrupting before continuing.

"Yes. That's exactly what I need you to do. And you must do whatever it takes to protect other possible victims. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," everyone but Hiei said in unison.

"Good. You're dismissed." With that said, Koenma ushered Team Urameshi out of the room. The door slammed behind them.

"That has got to be the shortest briefing he's ever given us. Plus, he didn't give us any of the reports! Baka baby," Shinka said as a portal appeared before them. They each stepped through, reappearing at the end of Shinka's long dirt driveway in the country.

"Actually, Shinka. Koenma gave me the police reports before you arrived," Kurama said, showing her a stack of manila folders that she hadn't noticed before.

"Well, you could've told me that earlier," she said.

"You didn't ask," Kurama retorted. Shinka sighed and rolled her eyes.

"So when are we going to look these things over?" she asked, grabbing the folders from Kurama.

"How about tonight?" Kuwabara asked hopefully. Shinka looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's just that it's Friday and we'll have more time because of the weekend to work on it," he added quickly. Shinka sighed again.

"All right. Fine. We'll do it at my house since were here. That and I've got the place to myself anyways." No one but her teammates and Koenma knew that Shinka really lived a lone. Her parents had died many years ago.

Although only sixteen, a lot had happened to Shinka in those few years. At the age of seven, she had watched as her parents were slaughtered before her eyes. The images of their mangled corpses still haunted her memory. That same day, her older brother, Aki, had been killed by means of decapitation. Years later, after living with a young couple who became her friends and guardians, she killed one of them. His name was Nibori, and Shinka loved him as if he were her true father, even more if that was possible. She never meant to harm him, of course, but something forced her, almost as if there was someone or something controlling her actions. Not long after, his wife, Moriko committed suicide.

Shinka left her second home at the age of fourteen. Within the span of a year, she became an infamous thief in the Makai, and no matter who tried to capture her, she always managed to escape. That is, until she ran into Yukio, a powerful shadow kitsune and apothecary. He had been hired by someone (he would not disclose who) to capture this powerful fire demon thief at all costs. However, taking sympathy for a fourteen-year-old girl just trying to survive to see another day, he offered Shinka a position as his apprentice. Reluctantly, she agreed.

For several months, Shinka worked for Yukio, running errands and such. In return, he took her into his home and taught her of the different plants that grew in the Makai and their uses. In time, Shinka began to secretly work as an assassin, killing both in the Makai and Nigenkai. She became known as the Angel of Death, although her identity never truly became known.

Koenma, hearing of Shinka's crimes and ever growing power sent out Yusuke Urameshi, the current Spirit Detective. Yusuke was accompanied by the rest of Team Urameshi. Eventually, after an extensive fight with the now fifteen-year-old Shinka, where she nearly killed all four of them, they arrested her, but only through the betrayal of Yukio.

As it turns out, Yukio had been working for Koenma the entire time. This treachery completely destroyed Shinka's spirit.

Koenma forcibly recruited Shinka to Team Urameshi, something which she was not at all happy about. Slowly, as each member of the team, even Hiei, gained a portion of her trust, Shinka's spirit slowly began its long journey of healing. As the months passed by, Shinka began to open up, although she still maintained her dark and angry personality.

Shinka and Kurama became close friends. Because Shinka trusted him the most out of the group, she often confided in him. He was the only one who knew of her complete past. Kuwabara annoyed the hell out of her, and Yusuke... Well, Yusuke had his moments. Hiei and Shinka shared a rather strange relationship, almost bi-polar in a way. One minute the two would act as if the other was not even there, and the next, they would be at each other's throats. Yet, there were times when they would actually engage in conversation, a rare action for the both of them.

The group began walking up Shinka's long driveway leading to the old farmhouse that lay in the distance. Shinka lead the way with Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara behind her, and Hiei dragging behind, as was his custom. Kuwabara approached Shinka.

"Hey, Shinka? I was wondering if—" he began.

"Are you asking me out, Kuwabara?" Shinka interrupted.

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly. Shinka sighed angrily.

"How many times have you asked me since I joined the team?"

"About fifteen."

"And what have the answers always been?"

"'No'?"

"Okay, so WHY THE HELL WOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT THIS TIME!" she shouted and Kuwabara recoiled. Kurama chucked slightly as Yusuke burst into laughter.

"Hn. Bakas," Hiei mumbled.

Eventually, they reached the two hundred year old farmhouse that Shinka lived in. She lead them up onto the wooden porch, and reaching into her pocket, pulled out a set of keys. She put one into the lock on the door and turned it. The lock clicked and she opened the door. It creaked on its old hinges. She allowed them all in and lead them into the living room.

"You guys can make yourself at home. I'm just going to go change out of this damn uniform," Shinka said heading for the stairs. She went into her room and grabbed some random clothes from her dresser. She changed into a black tank top and baggy black pants. She took her midnight black and blood red tipped hair from its messy bun and brushed it out, allowing it to cascade down her back. Shinka then hurried back down stairs to where the gang was waiting.

Hiei was sitting in the window seat as he usually did, staring blankly at the world outside. Yusuke and Kuwabara were sitting on the floor arguing about some pointless thing or another. However, Kurama was sitting on her only couch, sifting through the police reports on the homicides. Shinka sat next to him.

"Figure anything out?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. Kurama shook his head.

"Nothing so far. All we really know is that the victims were all killed in the same way, but there's no pattern. Nothing," he explained, handing her a few photos. She sorted through them. They were all pictures of the victim's bodies. She smirked.

"Well, whoever this killer is, I like his handiwork." Kurama gave her a strange look, as did Hiei. Shinka smirked again, knowing they both were thinking the same thing. That she was insane. It is, after all, what everyone else thought.

"Well, we have a long night ahead of us if we want to figure anything out," Kurama sighed.

"I know! We should order pizza and pick up some movies!" Yusuke exclaimed now that he and Kuwabara had stopped bickering.

"You know, Yusuke. I think you're trying to make this into more of a slumber party," she said, giving Yusuke a skeptical look. Yusuke grinned stupidly.

"Okay, I'll go order the pizza." Shinka stood and went to her kitchen and picked up the phone. She ordered a large cheese pizza and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes.

"Twenty minutes," she said walking back into the living room.

"Twenty minutes!" Kuwabara groaned.

"Actually, more than that. It takes a while to walk into town. Unless you can get a portal there," Shinka informed them. "But you two idiots are picking it up either way, so get moving."

"What about Kurama or Hiei?" Yusuke whined.

"Kurama and I are going to work on the case and what makes you think Hiei will go get it?" Yusuke and Kuwabara had no answer. "Exactly. Now move!" she ordered. Yusuke and Kuwabara scrambled to their feet and went out the door. Shinka sat next to Kurama again. Just as her, Kurama, and Hiei began going through the police reports, Shinka's phone rang. Puzzled, she allowed it to ring a few times.

"Who the hell could that be? No one has my number and it's not listed," she said to know one in particular as she went to the kitchen. She picked it up, that puzzled look still on her face.

"Hello?" She kept her confusion out of her voice. Laughter came from the other end of the line. Evil laughter.

"I'd watch your back if I were you, Sereg'wethrin." It was a male voice. Shinka's eyes widened.

"How do you know that name?" she demanded. Sereg'wethrin was what she was commonly called in the Makai by those she had worked with. The voice laughed again.

"You'll found out in time. Oh, yes. You'll find out in time." The voice laughed again before the other line went silent for a moment before the dial tone rang in her ear. Shinka stood there, the phone still to her ear, in a complete state of shock.

_That voice… _she thought. Just then, Kurama walked into to see what was going on.

"Shinka?" he said quietly, seeing her standing there, her eyes wide.

"That voice…" Shinka said aloud, her voice shaking.

"Shinka? Is everything all right?" Kurama came closer. The receiver fell from her hand and smashed on the floor.

"Impossible…." she whispered. "He can't be back. He can't."


	2. Signs of the Enemy

**Chapter Two: Signs of the Enemy**

"What are you talking about, Shinka?" Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder. Hiei appeared in the doorway.

"What the hell is going on in here?" he inquired, motioning to the phone which now lay in pieces upon the white tile.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Kurama answered, turning Shinka around to face him. Shinka closed her eyes and swayed slightly, nearly falling over. She felt very lightheaded for a moment. _What's going on? _She thought. Suddenly, she pitched forwards, nearly hitting the floor, only to be caught by Kurama. A chill swept through her and she shuddered violently as Kurama picked her up and carried her to the living room, gently placing her on the couch. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped as if waking from a nightmare.

"What the hell was that!" she exclaimed.

"Hn, that's what we'd like to know," Hiei said, returning to the windowsill and sitting in it, but facing his teammates.

"It was strange… I just got lightheaded. It felt like I was falling." She shook her head, as if trying to clear her mind. "But, let's not worry over that, it was probably just a dizzy spell. This case is more important anyways."

"Are you sure, Shinka? I mean, that's not normal," Kurama said, obviously concerned.

"I'm fine, Kurama. Stop worrying," Shinka insisted. She picked up the manila folders again and pulled out the photos. She sat on the floor and spread them out so that each one could be seen individually. Kurama and Hiei knelt by her. Her eyes darted over each one, picking out details and matching them with others. Kurama and Hiei watched her. In the past, they discovered Shinka had a knack for picking out the smallest details in something.

"Look!" she said, pointing at the nearest of the photos. It was of a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old. "See her expression? Most of the time, the muscles relax as the body shuts down. However, she looks absolutely horrified. That's something not often seen. Now look at the others."

Hiei and Kurama each looked closely at each victim. Indeed, they all bore the same expression. Horror. The expression of utmost horror and trepidation.

"What kind of creature could cause something like this?" Hiei wondered aloud.

"That's not all. Look at the bases of their necks." The two youkai did as Shinka said.

"Bite marks?" Kurama said, picking up one of the photos.

"Bite marks," Shinka confirmed.

"They look like…" Hiei began.

"Fangs. But not just any fangs. I think it may have been some kind of large canine. Like a wolf or a large dog," she said.

"You know, Shinka. I think you're right," Kurama said, setting the photo back down with the others. Just then, Yusuke and Kuwabara came in the door, carrying the pizza, soda, and a few movies.

"It's about time you morons got here," Shinka said, standing up. Yusuke rolled his eyes as he brought the pizza into the kitchen and set it on the table.

"What happened in here?" he asked, eyeing the broken phone that was still situated on the floor.

"Just had a little accident," Shinka said, picking up the broken plastic and setting it on the countertop. She grabbed some paper plates that she kept in a drawer and set them out.

'All right, bakas. Don't go messing my house up, all right?" Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded mere seconds before they literally attacked the pizza. Shinka rolled her eyes and walked back into the living room. Kurama and Hiei had cleared away the photos and police reports, returning them to their respectful folders. Yusuke and Kuwabara walked in and sat in front of the TV. Shinka threw the remote at Kuwabara's head, knowing what the two wanted. It hit.

"OW!" Kuwabara cried.

"What? I figured I could use some sort of amusement," she said, smirking. Yusuke snatched the remote from Kuwabara and turned on the TV.

"Did you figure anything out?" Kuwabara asked, rubbing the spot where he had been hit.

"Actually, yes," Kurama said. He explained everything to the two boys as they munched on their pizza and flipped through the channels.

"Stop! Go back to channel 9!" Shinka said, noticing something. Yusuke did as she asked and went back a few channels. It was the news. On the screen was the picture of a body bag, obviously holding a dead body.

"Yet another mysterious homicide has occurred," the reporter was saying. "Just another addition to the six that have already transpired. It happened in a park in Tokyo a few hours ago. Three friends were with the girl when she was murdered, but they all say they didn't see a thing." A distraught looking eighteen-year-old girl showed up on screen. Her two friends stood behind her.

"It was impossible to see anything. A really thick fog just appeared out of nowhere and before we knew what was happening, we heard Miyuki scream. We tried to find her, but none of us could see even an arms length in front of us," she said. The two behind her nodded in agreement.

"There are no current suspects," the reporter said before the story switched over to something else.

"Another murder," Hiei said from the windowsill.

"Well, I say we take a break from the case and check out that body tomorrow," Shinka said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

The rest of the night, the group stayed up, watching movies and talking. Eventually, they all fell asleep in Shinka's living room in the middle of some horror movie.

The next morning, Shinka woke to the sun directly in her face. She found herself lying upside down on the couch, her head touching the floor. Kurama was on the couch next to her, still sound asleep. Hiei slept peacefully in the windowsill. The two morons looked as if they had passed out on the floor, their mouths open and both snoring loudly.

Shinka attempted to flip herself over onto her stomach so she could stand, but failed. Instead, she only succeeded in falling off of the couch and landing roughly on the floor with a thud. This startled Hiei and Kurama awake.

"Shinka?" Kurama asked groggily. "What happened?" Shinka sat up.

"I just fell," she answered, straightening her hair. Suddenly, a sharp pain went through her head, as if someone was stabbing her skull with a butter knife or a really blunt blade. She winced and put her head in her hands.

"Shinka?" Kurama's voice was concerned. Then the pain was gone as quickly as it came. She stood up and stretched, completely ignoring Kurama.

"I'll be back," she said, walking to the staircase, making sure to kick Yusuke and Kuwabara sharply as she passed. She went to her room, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. She showered and dressed. Like everyday when she wasn't at school, her outfit was black. Her shirt had a red anarchy sign on the front that looked like it had been written in blood. Her pants were baggy and black, as always. Shinka brushed out her hair, deciding to leave it down today.

She went to her dresser, on top of which was a small, wooden jewelry box. Inside it were her only two pieces. A sliver pendant of a sword with two dragons wrapped around it on a silver chain was the first thing she saw. Both dragons had either red or black stones as eyes. The other piece was a silver, two-banded ring, another silver dragon running between the bands like a serpent.

Both of these pieces were two of the three of her most prized possessions. Both the ring and pendent had been given to her by her now deceased brother, Aki. She could still hear his voice inside her head.

"The dragon is a symbol of power and protection, Shinka. I won't tell you what to do with these yet. That, you must figure out on your own. However, keep them with you and you will always be protected, even when I'm not there." Those had been Aki's words when he handed her the trinkets. They were all she had left of her brother, and she had never figured out what he had meant by "what do to" with them.

She slid the ring onto her finger and clasped the necklace around her neck and proceeded to walk down the stairs. She entered the living room to find everyone now awake, except for Yusuke, who she guessed was in his room.

Since the team hung out at her house so often and she had the extra space, the guys all had their own rooms. It was basically like their second home, or, at least to everyone but Hiei it was. Shinka really had no idea where Hiei dwelled, but she really didn't care, either.

Shinka walked into the kitchen to find Kurama at the stove making breakfast.

"Oh, there you are, Shinka. I was wondering what was keeping you. Caught up in reminiscing again?" Kurama asked, flipping one of the pancakes in the pan.

'Yeah, a little," she answered, sitting at the old wooden table. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Something wrong?" Kurama set a plate of golden brown pancakes in the center of the table.

"Nah. Not really. I'm just thinking about all of the homicides we're supposed to be investigating. None of the clues are really coming together at all. It's as if the killer is murdering completely random people. I don't understand."

"Well, I'm sure whoever it is has his or her motives. Murders usually do," Kurama said, sitting down as well. "But don't worry about it right now, Shinka. We'll figure this all out in time."

Shinka nodded, feeling a little more assured. She took two of the pancakes from the top of the stack and prepared them. She wanted to eat what she could before Yusuke and Kuwabara caught the sent of food. Hiei walked in and did the same, as did Kurama. It wasn't long, maybe a minute or two, before Yusuke and Kuwabara stampeded into the kitchen and dove into the stack of pancakes. Shinka rolled her eyes and gave the two a disgusted look before she stood and placed her dishes in the dishwasher. She returned to the living room, intent upon figuring out at least one connection between the murders before they went to investigate the newly dead teenager.

Shinka found the files on her coffee table. She began searching through them, carefully reading through the descriptions and looking at the photos. Yet, she found nothing. She sighed and leaned back into the couch, giving up after a few minutes. She just couldn't focus for some reason. Her mind kept wandering off, images of her past flashing through her memory.

"Damn it," she muttered, shaking her head. She was placing the files back in their folders when her teammates came from the kitchen.

"All right. Let's do this," Yusuke said, heading for the door.

"Do we really have to do this?" Kuwabara asked. Shinka caught a hint of fear in his voice.

"You're not scared of a dead body are you, Kuwabara?" she asked teasingly.

"No! Of course not! It's just… Well..." He stuttered.

"It's just you're scared." Hiei finished his sentence for him.

"I am not!" Kuwabara argued.

"Oh, give it up, Kuwabara. You're not going to win," Yusuke said as the group walked off of the porch. Shinka locked the door behind her and slipped the key into her pocket. They began their long walk into town.

Within half an hour or so, they had managed to reach the outskirts of the city. It was still a few more miles to the hospital, and the morgue, where the girl's body was being kept.

"So, Shinka, tell us. How do you think they're going to allow us to view the body?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah, it's not like we can walk and there and say we're Spirit World investigators trying to track down a demonic killer," Kuwabara added.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I was thinking that we'd pose as some of the girls relatives and say we're there to identify the body," Shinka answered. "Then, once we're in, we knock out the guard and snoop around a bit."

"Do you think that's wise, Shinka? We could get into a lot of trouble if we're identified as imposters," Kurama said.

"Well, do you have a better idea?" The group was silent. "That's what I thought. Unless someone comes up with a better plan, this is what we're going to have to do."

"All right. But if we get caught, it's your fault," Yusuke said, lacing his hands behind his head. Shinka smirked. Abruptly, that horrid pain shot through her head again, and, just as before, it disappeared as quickly as it came.

_Damn. This is one hell of a migraine._ She thought. _Although I do wonder why that keeps happening._

"Shinka?" Kurama's voice startled her from her thoughts. "Are you all right? You look a bit shocked."

"You really need to stop worrying about me, Kurama. I'm fine," she told him. Surprisingly, he didn't press the matter, as if for once he actually understood that she was fine. At least, she thought she wasfine.

Twenty minutes later, Team Urameshi found themselves in the hospital's waiting room. Shinka faked her tears as she spoke with the receptionist.

"Hi. We're here to identify a body," she said, the false tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, of course. Is it the girl that was killed yesterday?" the receptionist asked. The group nodded.

"Are you related to her?" the woman asked next.

"Yes. I'm her sister and Hiei here is our brother," Shinka said, motioning to Hiei. "The others are cousins of ours." She allowed a few tears to escape her eyes. The receptionist gave her a look of sympathy.

"Just a moment please." She left the window.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, onna?" Hiei hissed softly.

"Just go along with it, Hiei. We've both got red eyes, so I just made the false connection for them," she whispered back. "Trust me. It'll work." Just then, the woman appeared back at the window and a nurse came around the corner.

"Ms. Aiko will take you to her," she said, motioning to the nurse that stood before them.

"Thank you," Kurama said. The group followed the nurse, Aiko, down a long hall and down a staircase. Normally, where a basement would be, was another long hallway. The doors on either side were closed. Aiko led them to the end of this long hall and stopped at the very last door. On it, in bold black letters **MORGUE** was written.

Aiko unlocked the door and led them in. She flicked on the light, revealing a fair amount gurneys, a few of them holding recent dead bodies. On the far wall was the huge section of the refrigerated storage area.

"She's there," Aiko said, motioning to a gurney at the far end of the room. "You'll forgive me if I don't go with you. I'm not so great around dead bodies."

"Oh, it's fine. Thank you," Shinka said. Luckily, Aiko left the room, leaving them the key and telling them to give it to the woman at the front desk when they were finished.

'Hm. That was easier than I thought it would be," Shinka said, returning to her usual personality and wiping the forced tears from her eyes. "Now, let's see what we can find." The group walked to the back of the morgue, heading for the last gurney that was positioned against the wall. Yusuke took a hold of the white sheet and pulled it back, revealing the pale and horrified face of a young girl. Kuwabara took a step back while making a rather strange noise.

This girl looked like all of the other victims; her head at an odd angle, concluding that her neck had been broken and she has probably been strangled. Her right arm was missing, torn, not cut, away from her body. Her eyes were still open and showed so much terror. At the base of her neck were those same bite marks.

"She must have been so frightened," Kurama said quietly.

"Hn, whoever this killer is, he sure is brutal," Hiei said.

"Well, we've seen the body! Let's get out of here!" Kuwabara said after a short pause. He headed for the door.

"We're not finished here Kuwabara. If you're so afraid, go keep watch," Yusuke said to his anxious friend.

"For once, I agree with the dimwit. Keep watch," Shinka said, turning back to the girl's body. From her pocket, she pulled out a small camera that was the size of a credit card.

"Thank you modern technology," she voiced.

"What the heck is that thing?" Yusuke questioned.

"It's a camera, moron! You didn't think I'd come here without some way of taking evidence back with me, did you?" She held the camera to her eye and snapped a few photos before she took notice of something. "What the hell…?"

"What is it now, onna?" Shinka, so focused upon what she had discovered, had hardly heard Hiei's voice. She pulled the sheet down slightly further, revealing a bit more of the girl's body, stopping just above her chest. Carved into her very flesh were strange markings. Markings which Shinka immediately recognized.

"Oh hell no!" she exclaimed, backing away from the girl.

"I take it you know what this says, Shinka?" Hiei asked, staring flabbergasted at the markings.

"Impossible! That bastard is dead!" she shouted. "I killed him myself!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yusuke asked urgently. Shinka's hand became balled into a tight fist. Blood seeped from beneath her fingers.

"I'll explain later," she said through clenched teeth. "Come on. I think we have all of the evidence we need." Yusuke nodded and placed the sheet over the girls face once more.


	3. The Cursed Child

**Chapter Three: The Cursed Child**

The group was now on the sidewalk outside the hospital. They had returned to key to the receptionist before leaving. It was now around 10:30 in the morning, and the sun was slowly reaching its peak. The late spring air was warm.

Shinka looked at her bleeding hand angrily. Her fingernails had dug into her palm when her hand had been in a tight fist. The blood slowly trickled from the deep cuts and down her arm. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of bandages. She always carried a roll or two with her since she was always getting herself into fights at school.

"Here, Shinka. Let me do that," Kurama said, taking the bandages from her. She held her hand out and allowed him to wrap it up.

"So, onna, would you mind explaining?" Hiei's voice came from behind her.

"I will in due time. But how about I explain somewhere there _aren't_ humans everywhere? We don't need them hearing the words 'evil mastermind' and 'demon' in the same sentence," she answered.

"Then where are we going to go?" Kuwabara asked in his annoying voice. To be honest, Shinka wasn't exactly sure. Humans were everywhere. The only place she could think of would be the forest, but that would be another hour's walk.

Eventually, after many minutes, they decided to head over to Kurama's house since they would have the most privacy there. Luckily, it wasn't too far of a walk.

It was only about a ten-minute walk to where Kurama lived. He led them in.

"Mother! I'm home!" he called. No answer. "Hm. I guess she went out. Oh well." Kurama led them to his living room and offered them a seat.

"So, onna. What is it you know that you're not telling us?" Hiei asked, leaning up against the wall next to the window. Shinka sighed.

"You guys are going to want to get comfortable. This may be a long story, although I'll try to shorten it as much as possible," Shinka said, positioning herself on the couch so that she had a clear view of everyone in the room. Kurama sat to her left while Yusuke and Kuwabara sat on the other couch that was located across the room. Hiei remained next to the window, his arms crossed.

"Those markings on the girl…. They're the symbol of a very powerful and evil demon named Toshihiro. I thought he was dead, but from the looks of it, I'm wrong," Shinka began. "I first came in contact with him many years ago. I was only seven at the time. He's the one who took my family away from me. He's the reason that my life took the path it did. Toshihiro ruthlessly killed my entire village. I'm the only one that survived that massacre. Out of instinct and fear, I ran, not knowing who this demon was or what he wanted. Years later, the day after my fourteenth birthday, after I had found a new home with my guardians, Nibori and Moriko, he took control of my mind and forced me to kill Nibori. Then, he took command of Moriko and had her attack me, making me believe she lost her temper because I murdered her husband. However, I was able to escape. Once she broke free of his control, she committed suicide.

"So, in reality, he had killed both of my families. I fled my second home, only not out of fear, but in order to protect everyone else I was close to. And so, my life as a thief began. Within that time, I encountered his subordinates, and once, Toshihiro himself. I was able to learn that he was after my power. During my face-to-face meeting with him, he forced me to unlock my true powers. It was then I found out that I was the legendary Blade Child. Unfortunately for him, his plan backfired and I was able to kill him. I thought that I could start a new life somewhere else and live normally from then on, but I was wrong. It just kept going downhill from there. I'm sure you all remember Yukio, that damn traitor…." Shinka voice became full of anger and hate. She trailed off. She could feel the eyes of her friends on her as she stared at the floor.

"And… that's about it." Shinka looked up to find everyone, even Hiei, staring at her. She narrowed her crimson eyes in a glare.

"I don't need your sympathy," she said coldly. Immediately, their gaze broke away from her.

"Well, now that we know who the killer is, how are we supposed to figure out his motives?" Yusuke asked, attempting to break the uneasy silence in the room.

"Easy. We have someone who knows how his mind works," Hiei said. "Shinka should be able to figure it out with very few problems."

"Unless his intentions have changed since I last fought with him. For all we know he may now just want to kill. He seems to have no problem doing it. He never did before," Shinka snapped. She sighed angrily. All of this recent information was going through her mind at a rapid pace and thousands of questions popped into her head. As a matter of fact, it was fairly stressful. She felt about ready to rip her hair out. Kurama must have noticed how upset she was becoming.

"It's almost noon. How about we go somewhere to eat? I'd cook for all of us here, but we don't exactly have much food in the house at the moment," he offered. Everyone agreed and once again, they set out for another walk.

The sun was high in the sky and lit up the city. The group walked down the sidewalk, cars flying passed them on the road. _Strange…_ Shinka though. _It's Saturday and hardly anyone is outside. Those homicides must have scared them._ Indeed, hardly anyone was outside. There were a few people out for walks, but Shinka could feel their uneasiness. Everyone was either in a car or locked within their homes.

_These pathetic humans. A few dead bodies and they're too afraid to even set foot out of their homes. I don't understand why they feel so secure enclosed like that. A killer could easily murder them there, if not with more ease than if they were out in the open. _Shinka never really thought much for humans, and she often wondered why she worked to protect these pathetic creatures. But deep down, she knew the reason. She had lost so many loved ones and she didn't want anyone to ever have to feel the sentiment of having those you care about being ripped out of your life forever. There was that, or a life of torture in a dark cell somewhere in Reikai.

Shinka snapped back to reality as they rounded a corner and found themselves in front of a small pizza place. Shinka rolled her eyes.

"I take it the two bakas suggested this?" she asked Kurama. He smiled and nodded. They walked in and found a booth at the back of the little restaurant. Yusuke and Kuwabara went to the counter to order while Hiei, Kurama, and Shinka sat down.

"Shinka, I'm curious. What did you mean by you being the legendary Blade Child?" Kurama asked.

"Do you mean to tell me you've never heard of the Blade Child?" Shinka asked, astonished. Kurama shook his head. She looked to Hiei who merely glared at her. Shinka's eyes darted around the room. Luckily, hardly anyone else was there.

Like Hiei, Shinka had one of her arms bandaged, the bindings reaching her shoulder. Carefully, she took them off. Kurama and Hiei watched her work with confused looks on their faces. Slowly, the bandages fell away from her arm. On top of her right hand was a strange marking of a sun, and within it, a black crescent moon. Then, Shinka turned her arm over, showing a long marking of a sword. The tip of the blade touched her wrist, and the hilt ended just before her shoulder. She heard a gasp escape Kurama's mouth.

"Most people think of it as a tattoo, but it's far from that. When I fought with Toshihiro, this marking appeared. I went through a lot of pain as this curse emerged," she said, looking angrily at the sword on her arm.

"Curse?" Shinka's head snapped up to see Yusuke and Kuwabara standing on the other side of the table. Quickly, she grabbed the bandages and wrapped her arm back up, concealing from them the markings. Yusuke and Kuwabara knew enough to leave the subject alone.

They had returned with a large half cheese, half pepperoni pizza and a wide assortment of soda.

As they ate, Shinka sat in thought, barely listening to the conversation going on around her. Her mind went back to the day she had fought with Toshihiro. How much pain she went through as her powers unlocked. How angry she had been. How much her thirst for revenge had grown. Even when he was dead, she still felt that need for revenge, and she wondered what it meant. But then she realized it.

_I should have died that day along with that bastard. But I didn't and I was too craven to take my own life when I knew that's what would make my revenge complete._ Shinka thought angrily. _But there's no use focusing on the past. I need to spotlight the future and bring down Toshihiro once and for all._

She broke away from her thoughts when she realized the team was getting ready to leave. They paid and walked out into the warm sunlight.

"What do we do now? We've got the rest of the day to kill," Kuwabara said as they began walking in a random direction.

"How about something that doesn't involve hours of walking?" Yusuke suggested.

"Oh I know!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "We could hang out at the park! It's not too far from here!"

In the end, they all agreed to it, although Shinka and Hiei were reluctant to do so. Within five minutes or so, they were in the park on a grassy hill. Yusuke and Kuwabara had somehow gotten a hold of a football and were playing with it. Kurama sat under the oak tree that was situated on the peak of the hill, watching the two idiots run back and fourth. Hiei and Shinka were on separate branches in the tree. Shinka dozed peacefully for the most part, being startled awake every now and then by Yusuke and Kuwabara. For a while she had a small conversation with Kurama about the case and she was aware Hiei was listening in, but she made no sign of noticing.

Slowly, the sun began to set, and sky turning as red as blood. Shinka sighed contentedly, still lying on the branch. The rest of the group left at their own intervals. Shinka however, remained where she was. The only one else around that area was Hiei, who had moved to one of the upper branches of the tree.

"You are an eerie creature, Shinka. You do know that, right?" Hiei's voice came from above her. She looked up to find him standing on the branch over her.

"Look who's talking," she retorted, taking her gaze off of Hiei and settling it on the setting sun.

"There's so much you're not telling us. The others may have not noticed it, but there's a part of that story of yours that you left out. Mind telling the truth?"

"I told you all you need to know, Hiei. The only things I'm keeping from you are details of no importance." With that said, Hiei dropped the subject and with a "Hn," leapt from the tree and disappeared.

A few minutes later, after the sun was gone completely, Shinka could clearly see the stars. She heaved another sigh before deciding to head home. She slipped off the branch and landed lightly on the ground.

Just then, a chill wind blew. But this was no normal late spring wind; it felt more like wind that came straight from the depths of winter. Shinka's body recoiled from the cold air. Her black and crimson hair billowed out behind her. She opened her eyes, which had been closed as the wind came in contact with her, and found that the area around her hand been covered in dense fog. The stars that were once overhead were concealed behind a thick layer of mist. The air grew dangerously cold and her arm began to sting with pain. The bandages covering her right arm leapt into flame, revealing her markings.

Evil, ominous laughter filled the air. Just in front of her, Shinka could vaguely make out a dark form. Immediately, she knew who it was.

"Toshihiro…." She growled, her heart quickening.

"So you _do _remember me, Sereg'wethrin. I was so hoping you would." Toshihiro's voice echoed. He stepped forwards, coming into clear sight. He was just as she remembered him. He was tall, about six foot five, with spiky crimson hair tipped with a deep violet. His golden yellow eyes were seemingly pupil-less, and were full of malice. He looked to be only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, however, in truth, he was well over a thousand.

"What do you want?" Shinka asked coldly. Toshihiro laughed again.

"I would think that by now you would know. I want you," he answered. Shinka's eyes narrowed in a glare and she got into a fighting stance.

"Do you really think you can fight me? I've grown _much _stronger since we last fought. And from the looks of you, you have as well. However, it won't be enough. I _will_ have the power of the Blade Child."

"Like hell you will!" Shinka shouted, lunging at Toshihiro. She aimed a punch at his head, but he caught her by the throat before she even got close.

_He's fast! _She thought. _Faster than before! _She then found herself pinned against the old oak tree, Toshihiro's grip on her tightening. She could feel her heart beginning to slow and she gasped for air, desperate to stay conscious.

"You're pathetic. Someone as weak as you doesn't deserve the kind of power you possess. I will have it." Toshihiro's eyes suddenly went black and Shinka could feel something being pulled from within her. She began to panic. A ball of fire formed in her hand and she brought it up into Toshihiro's face. He screamed in agony and dropped her, backing away. Shinka struggled to her feet, using the tree for support.

Toshihiro, now thoroughly infuriated, created a blade out of thin air. Shinka's eyes widened and she went for her katana, but realized it wasn't there. _Damn it! _She thought. She had left it back at her home so as to not arouse any suspicions amongst the humans.

"Now you die, Cursed Child." Before Shinka knew what had happened, she found the blade embedded in her shoulder. She winced and gritted her teeth, ripping the blade out.

"Now you've really managed to piss me off, Toshihiro!" she shouted, throwing the blade back at her enemy. Toshihiro merely leaned to the side and the blade flew by his head.

"CRIMSON FURY!" Shinka's voice echoed loudly as her anger took control. Beneath Toshihiro, binds of flames shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around his body. Shinka slowly began closing her outstretched hand into a fist, making the binds constrict. Toshihiro laughed manically.

"Is this the best you can do? I seem to remember being in pain the last time you pulled this trick on me." Suddenly, the binds around him snapped. Shinka gasped and stared at her opponent wide-eyed.

"I'll make you a deal, Cursed One. When you get stronger, come find me. I want to battle you when your power has reached its full potential. Until then, I will resume my killing streak. Goodbye, Sereg'wethrin." With that, Toshihiro disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. The fog cleared away and the air began to warm up. Shinka looked at her arm. Both markings had a strange glow to them.

_My power's full potential? _Shinka began her long walk home, cutting through the nearby forest, trying to figure out what Toshihiro had meant.


	4. The Invitation

**Chapter Four: The Invitation **

Shinka had reached home. It was late into the night and she was in her room, bandaging the wound on her shoulder. She decided that early tomorrow morning, she would go out to fetch some herbs to help it heal faster.

"Damn Toshihiro… always showing up at the wrong time. Always ruining my day…." She snarled. Once finished with her shoulder, she proceeded in re-bandaging her arm. When that task was completed, she preformed her nightly rituals of brushing her teeth and hair.

Half an hour later, Shinka crawled into bed. The only light in her dark room came from the moon. Its beams cast eerie shadows around her room, shadows that many would be frightened of, but Shinka took comfort in them. As she lay there, staring at the ceiling, memories of her former life came to her.

Shinka remembered the farm she once lived on with her family. She remembered riding her horse, Kenshin, through the forests and the fields on the property. She remembered racing with Aki and his horse, White Phoenix, during the summer. What she would have given to be able to go back to those days. Back when she lived peacefully, free of the pain and suffering she endured in later years.

Then, images of the day Toshihiro attacked her village came to her consciousness. The images of the mangled bodies and blood, the houses and shops up in flames. She could still clearly hear the frightened screams of the villagers. Then the horrible images faded.

Shinka suddenly bolted upright. She had heard something: a light tap on her wall. _Tap, tap, tap. _There it was again. Her eyes darted around the room.

Nothing. There was nothing there. She couldn't sense any energy of any kind. Then, just barely, she saw something move in the corner of her eye. Again, nothing. The tapping persisted for a few more seconds before it was followed by a ghostly soft voice.

_Hush, little sister. Don't say a word. Never mind that noise you heard. It's just the beast under your bed._

Shinka smiled. She recognized that voice. It was her brother, Aki. He had always sung that little verse before Shinka went to bed when she was little. His intent was to frighten her, but after a while, it became something of a lullaby to her. She wasn't sure why, but it was reassuring, knowing that if indeed there was something under the bed, at least someone wasn't breaking into the house.

"Thank you, Aki…" she whispered as she lay back down and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Shinka woke to her alarm clock blasting in her ear. She attempted to shut it off, but gave up and threw it across the room. She looked out the window. It wasn't yet light out.

Yawning and stretching, she stood up and went through her morning routine. Fifteen minutes after her shower, she was downstairs beginning her breakfast, once more fully clad in black.

Shinka finished her breakfast and went outside to the nearest of the five old barns. She heaved the old wooden double doors open. On the wall hung an old oil lamp. She summoned a flame to her fingertip and lit it. For such a little lamp, it cast a great deal of light.

Shinka went to the back of the barn where she was greeted by a whinny.

"Hey there, Akio," Shinka said. The Frisian horse within the stall nickered happily. Within a matter of minutes, Shinka had the huge black equine saddled and was leading him out of the barn. On her way out, she grabbed hold of her saddlebags.

She fastened the saddlebags behind the cantle and mounted. Shinka urged Akio forwards and he began a fast paced walk towards the large field that divided half of Shinka's property with the forest. Akio began trotting as he walked into the tall grass, his hooves pounding on the ground and the blades of grass swishing as he passed by.

By the time Shinka reached the edge of the forest, the sun had barely begun rising. The eastern horizon was still dark, but there was a small, thin line of pink that was hardly distinguishable outlining the distant mountains. Beyond the first layer of trees, everything was completely dark. Before her was an old, worn down path leading into the darkness. Akio slowed to a walk as he passed by the first few trees.

The path wound its way through the trees, eventually ending at a river that cut through the property. On the banks of this river were certain plants that Shinka often used to concoct different healing potions. One of these plants she had brought back from the Makai. It was called Esthar and it was very poisonous. However, through Yukio's teachings, Shinka had learned how to use it correctly and tap into its healing properties. This knowledge was the only thing Shinka was glad Yukio had taught her.

Shinka brought Akio to a halt once she reached this river. She dismounted and went to its banks. She knelt down and began carefully picking what seemed to be a deep violet flower. This was Esthar. It looked like some kind of foreign flower that one might find in a garden. The petals were a deep violet and had royal blue streaks that led to the center. However, unlike an ordinary flower, Esthar had to have its roots dug up in order to be pulled out. If not, the acid-like foam within the stem would spurt out and slowly begin dissolving whatever it touched.

Shinka straightened up, having collected what she needed. As she was packing the herbs away into the saddlebags, she took notice of something and smirked.

"I know you're there, Hiei."

There was a moment's hesitation before Hiei leapt down from a nearby tree. Akio snorted and Shinka began stroking his neck in comfort.

"What are you doing out here this early in the morning, onna?" Hiei inquired.

"I could ask you the same question," Shinka replied. Hiei said nothing, but began watching her as she fastened the buckles on the saddlebags. She looked up and her eyes met his. His gaze sent chills through her.

_What the hell? That's never happened before._ Shinka though, tearing her gaze away from Hiei.

"Well?" Hiei asked.

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"I'll think about it." Shinka enjoyed toying with Hiei, mainly because he would often get upset about it, and she loved nothing more than to see him beaten. Hiei waited for an answer impatiently as Shinka finished packing the herbs she had collected. She took notice of this.

"What does it matter to you, anyways, oni?" she asked harshly as she began untying Akio's reins from a sapling. "Unless you actually _care _now. Is that it? Is your conscience getting to you?" Hiei glared at her as she swung herself into the saddle. She could feel his anger rising. "Oh no. Did I make you upset?"

At this, Hiei snapped. He lunged at Shinka and Akio leapt forwards as she yelled out the command. Akio galloped back down the path. Hiei was now following her, leaping from tree to tree in an attempt to grab hold of her.

"Perhaps you should look into anger management, Hiei!" Shinka shouted. "Or at least a psychiatrist!"

Akio burst out of the trees, still at a fast gallop. However, once out in the open, he broke into a full run. Although Hiei was indeed abnormally fast, Akio was faster. Shinka never told anyone, but Akio was not just a regular, mundane horse. There was a certain quality about him. Something that made him stand out. Well, stand out at least some of the time.

Akio came to a skidding halt in front of Shinka's house. She leapt off his back and hurriedly began removing the saddlebags. Suddenly, something collided with her and slammed her into the ground. Hiei had her pinned, his hand on her shoulder, applying pressure to her wound. Shinka winced as the wound reopened. She brought her legs up and kicked Hiei in the chest, causing him to fly backwards. She sat up, clutching her shoulder.

"Damn it, Hiei! You suck!" she shouted angrily as the blood began to seep through her shirt. Shinka quickly grabbed her herbs and went inside. Hiei followed, curious as to what she was doing.

By the time Hiei walked into the house, Shinka was busy boiling a small pot of water in the kitchen. As he walked in, Shinka grabbed a knife and sat at the table, pulling out an Esthar plant.

"What the hell are you up to, onna?" Hiei asked inquisitively, sitting at the table across from her. Shinka didn't answer, but carefully began scraping off the layers of the stem. She went through five of her Esthar plants before the water started boiling. She went to the stove with the Esthar scrapings and placed them in the water. She then returned to the table with a bowl and began searching through the saddlebags, pulling out a few other strange looking plants. She began grinding them up. Hiei watched with a vague curious look on his face.

Minutes later, Shinka retrieved the Esthar from the boiling water and added it to the bowl, grinding it up as well. Then, she added a small amount of water, just enough to make the strange mixture into a purplish paste.

"Do you really think it's wise to be experimenting with a poisonous plant like that?" Hiei asked as Shinka slid part of her shirt down her shoulder, revealing her bandages.

"I'm not experimenting, Hiei. I know what I'm doing," she answered, removing the bandages.

"This is going to hurt like hell," Shinka said before taking a deep breath. Dabbing her fingers into the bowl, she applied the strange paste to her wound. Immediately, it felt as if her skin was being ripped from her bones. Slowly, that pain began to spread throughout her. She gritted her teeth and held onto the edge of the table, her knuckles beginning to noticeably white, which was rare, for Shinka had extremely pale skin.

A final jolt of pain went through her as the wound began to glow with a violet and the shredded tissues began to mend. The pain began to ebb away, leaving her arm numb. Shinka sighed with relief.

"He found you, didn't he?" Hiei asked.

"Who?" Shinka asked, dabbing a damp cloth on the small white scar that had once been an open wound.

"You know who."

"Oh. You mean Toshihiro. Yes, he did."

"So? Did he tell you anything?" Hiei probed.

"Of course he did!"

"Would you mind sharing with the rest of the class?" Yusuke's voice startled Shinka. She jumped and fell out of her chair.

"Yusuke! Don't do that!" she shouted, quickly standing up. She noticed Kurama and Kuwabara standing behind him. "Since when do you guys just walk into someone's house?"

"Well, we were going to call, but…." Yusuke began.

"Your phone's broken," Kuwabara finished. Shinka rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll get to fixing it later. Judging from the look I'm getting from Kurama, I suppose you want me to explain, huh?" The group nodded. Shinka led them into the living room and sat down on her couch.

"Well, last night, I was in the park, just hanging around. When I decided to finally go home, that's when Toshihiro appeared," she began explaining. "He started talking, just giving away what he was after."

"Which was…..?" Yusuke asked.

"Me. Turns out, he's after my power."

"Then why all of the killings? He knew where to find you and you said you'd met him before. He knew what you looked like," Kuwabara said stupidly.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but my guess is he figured I died sometime after he did. He knew my power was out there somewhere, and he may have thought I had been reincarnated. So he began killing all possibilities. But now that he's found me, he's going to continue killing just for the fun of it," she elucidated.

"How do you know that for sure?" Kuwabara asked.

"Because he told me so himself, dumbass! Now shut up and let me continue!" Kuwabara fell silent. "Anyways, after that, we began fighting. In the end, he stabbed me in the shoulder. However, before he left, he told me that the reason he didn't kill me then was because he wants me to become more powerful. He wants my power to reach its full potential. Now I'm debating whether or not to try it. If I don't, he may get impatient and just kill me. But if I do, I may lose and he'll take my power. Either way, all three worlds are doomed if I can't defeat him."

"So _that's _what you were doing with that weird purple stuff!" Yusuke said.

"Yeah. Although thanks to Hiei it was much more painful than it needed to be." Shinka shot a glare at Hiei.

"Hn," he said before staring back out the window. Shinka stood and went back to the kitchen and began cleaning up. Once finished, she returned to the living room. Yusuke and Kuwabara were one again watching TV. Kurama sat on the couch, deep in thought. Hiei still remained in the windowsill.

Suddenly, Shinka heard Akio let out a shrill neigh. Her eyes widened and she rushed outside, her friends following her. Akio was rearing, his deep brown eyes wide. Shinka rushed to him and took hold of the reins.

Again, she was met with that cold wind. However, the fog she had experienced before never appeared. Instead, dark clouds quickly filled in the sky, blocking out the sun. A few feet off, a black circle appeared on the ground, and from it rose swirling black smoke. The icy wind blew again and the smoke disappeared. Someone now stood where the smoke used to be. He looked almost exactly like Toshihiro, only slightly shorter and his eyes were black instead of yellow.

"Kenji…" Shinka snarled. Kenji laughed.

"Ah, Shinka. So we meet again. It's been a long time. I was thrilled when my brother informed me of your existence. I thought for sure you had been killed."

"Enough with the reunion! What the hell do you want?" Yusuke demanded, stepping on front of Shinka.

"Yusuke, don't. I can handle this," Shinka protested. Yusuke ignored her.

"So I see you've befriended the Spirit Detective. Impressive. You were able to convince Koenma to let you live? Even after all the demons you killed and the crimes you committed?"

"Shut the hell up, Kenji. That's none of your concern! Now, tell us what you want or else I'll just kill you where you stand," Shinka said darkly. Kenji sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out an envelope.

"Toshihiro wishes to invite you to attend a little tournament he's putting together," Kenji said, shoving the envelope into Yusuke's hand. "Personally, I think it'll be quite interesting to see what you can do now, Shinka. I hope to see you there." With that, Kenji disappeared.


End file.
